1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to novelty items; and, more particularly, to an expandable greeting card or similar media display device adapted to be fixedly positioned within a relatively clear transparent inflatable balloon so that upon inflation of the balloon the card is gradually expanded to render messages and/or pictorial or graphic displays printed thereon visible to an observer through the sidewall of the inflated balloon. More specifically, the present invention relates to a balloon encased expandable greeting card and/or pictorial display device which may be gradually expanded by coaction with the sidewall of the balloon as the latter is inflated so as to render the printed media contained thereon--whether in the form of a printed message, a picture, a graphic design or display, or a combination of the foregoing--visible to individuals through the wall of the balloon, together with a novel method for displaying such printed media.
2. Background Art
There are many occasions when persons desire to convey messages to one or more other persons in some unusual format such, for example, as a greeting card which may or may not contain text material and/or graphic displays of the type commonly exchanged upon such occasions as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations and a wide range of similar festive occasions. Moreover, it is common that inflatable balloons are also widely used at such festivities. Indeed, special purpose balloons bearing printed messages and/or graphic displays printed on the balloon sidewall are well known for use in conveying birthday greetings, Valentine Day greetings, etc.
Additionally, a wide range of devices and/or systems have been devised in recent years to enable toys, gifts, flowers, trinkets and similar favors to be stuffed into an inflated balloon with the balloon serving as an attractive, and oft-times unique, package for the particular favor. Thus, in those instances where the balloon sidewall is clear or transparent, the recipient and others are able to view the favor contained therein; whereas, in other instances where the balloon sidewall is opaque, the favor remains hidden until the balloon is burst by the recipient, thus promoting surprise.
However, apart from the long-standing widespread use of balloons as conventional party favors and the like, and the more limited use in recent years of balloons as containers and/or gift packages for toys, flowers, small gifts and similar party favors, to the best of the present inventor's knowledge, prior to the advent of the present invention there has been no use of, nor suggestion of the utility of, balloons as envelopes for greeting cards and/or similar media presentation devices for delivering greetings and/or displaying pictures and/or graphic media.